Prophecy
by Ruthiexx
Summary: Neville finds out he is more than what he appears to be.
1. Bad news, Good news

**Authors Notes: **

                        This was written just after reading GoF for the first time, I had no idea a prophecy would be involved in OotP. And if you read carefully at that part it says something about how it could have been Neville ^_^ I was very happy and actually said to people who I knew there was something special about Nev.  He's one of my favourite characters and you just know that he's going to be a good man and wizard.

Please read and then review, I'll give you all ice cream!

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**Prophecy.**

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Chapter 1.     In which sad news is received  

There's a knock at my door and although I'm not doing anything I don't want to get up or do anything about it.  The knock comes again and I sigh and yell, "Come in!" so whoever is behind the sturdy oak door can hear me.

The door opens slowly almost tentively, like its in slow motion.  A flash of blue catches my eye.  "Oh god" I whisper, if this is what I think it is and I think it is I've seen enough St.Mungo's robes.

Oh I've been dreading the day, how will I tell my boy, he's already so fragile.

Ms. Longbottom? The ministry and St.Mungo's sends its deepest condolences, your son frank died about an hour ago.  If you want to say your goodbyes we'll be happy to have you come over.

I can feel a tear already sliding down my cheek for my son. I nod numbly and I feel a hand on my arm, I look up to face a girl not much older that 20, I collect her hand and lay it between both of my own, patting it softly.  Its alright dear, could you tell Albus Dumbledore as well please, there's Floo powder in the red jar on the mantle.  I tell her he will know who Neville's friends are.

Somewhere inside of me I knew this was going to happen, as I have a letter prepared, I hand it to the girl, "thank you dear, it must be hard to deliver such news." She nods sadly "your son will be missed."  "He has been missed for 14 years already." I reply, I squeeze her hand gently again.  "Goodbye Ms Longbottom." She says stepping into the flames and disappearing.

"Come out Neville." I say to the empty room.  A shuffle of slippered feet can be heard from behind the door leading to the dining room.

My grandson appears, from tousled blonde hair down to fluffy slipper clad feet.

Neville lost almost all of his puppy fat and he's grown a lot this year.  His golden hair curling slightly along the bottom and fringe, which he blows out his hazel eyes, soft hazel eyes like his mother's.

I know I've been a bit harsh these few years but I do love him, he's the only one left now and all I want is for him to be happy. 

"Neville" I sigh, "dads gone." He whispers sitting on the sofa beside me, he looks so vulnerable but no tears fall.

I find myself doing something I have done rarely since he was a child, I embrace him, he clings to me silently and I cry openly into his hair.  "I…its okay gra'ma I'm still here and so is mum."  He says to me trying hard to comfort his old grandmother.  It only makes me cry further, after all I have failed to do for him, for all the times I have scolded him and shouted at him, he forgives me and I thank him for that.  I finally manage to say something that I should have said more often to him.  "My boy, I do love you, I know it seems like I don't sometimes but I do, never doubt that, your all I've got."  "I know gra'ma I know" he replies softly.

"Can we, can we go see mum later?" "Of course"

 Later that day- St.Mungo's

"Mum? I know you don't really know who I am and to you I'm just this boy who comes and goes sometimes but I love you. I can talk to you and stuff.  I know that you will go soon just like dad and that will make gra'ma even more sad, and then I might lose her too.  I don't want to lose everyone I love.  It…it hurts too much." Neville tells her holding her almost lifeless hand. A sob escapes unnoticed by the young man in the room as tears well up in his eyes.  He drops her hand and walks briskly out of the room past the room where the formidable ms. Longbottom and the doctor are discussing something about his dad.  

Neville breaks into a run, ignoring the medi-witch who tells him to slow down, flashes of rooms and signs blurred past him.  After a while he reaches the door to the centre's garden and picnic area.  He pushes open the door and steps onto the path, there is no one around as he plopped down onto the bench and cried.  He cried for everything, for never truly knowing his parents, for the death of his dad, for the grief it was causing his gra'ma, and for the way he was completely useless except for getting in the way.

After what seemed like an eternity Neville returned to his mum's room to find the doctor, two medi-witches and his gra'ma crowded around the bed and a voice he had never heard before.  "Let me see my son!"


	2. Secrets revieled

Chapter 2.  In which secrets are revealed.

"Mum!?" Neville whispered, he saw his mother sitting up in bed, her eyes searching him, her face animated, a smile on her lips as she looked at him, a twinkle in her eyes, no trace of the blank expression that had been there an hour or so before.

"Mum?" he asked again his voice hoarse.  "Neville-baby."

"I want to speak to mum, alone." He said decisively, turning to the doctor and medi-witches, no one moved and he glared at them.  His gra'ma coughed awkwardly and led them out of the room.

"Neville-baby?" She opens her arms and he sits on the bed and hugs her, it's a hug he has never felt before.  A hug filled only with love, a mother's embrace, she places a kiss atop his hair.

"Neville, I'm going soon, you know that don't you?" Her voice is filled with sorrow as she strokes her son's hair. "What happened?" It sounded simple in his head, but once said aloud the question had so many answers.  "A lot of things, some of which you don't need to know."  She took a breath and held his hand; it seemed very familiar to her.  "We were so proud when you were born but we soon found out Voldemort and the Death Eaters had started attacking some of the families with very young children, we had become targets for the Death Eaters, along with the Weasley's, Molly was pregnant with three children to look after as it was, and the Potters.  "But why?"  "I don't know love; I didn't truly understand it myself.  Your father and I both thought he was trying to stop a generation from being born, that those children would become stronger than him."

"It was proved to him the night he killed James and Lily."  She finished sadly.  "The night Harry defeated you-know-who!" Neville shuddered at the thought of the Death eaters and you-know-who going after all the families and kids his age.

Suddenly remembering, Neville's mum sat up straighter and tightened her arm around her son.  

"There was another reason we were put into our previous state, we had found out how Voldemort had killed the Potters, that bastard Pettigrew betrayed them."  "But…but Sirius Black… he tried to kill Harry a few years ago!" Neville stuttered.  "Sirius had no reason too, he's Harry's godfather, and he must have been after something else. There wasn't a rat around was there?"  "Ron's rat Scabbers why?" "There was a secret that I only found out about by accident.  Sirius Black, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew were all illegal animagi. Pettigrew took the form of a rat.  Sirius must have been after Pettigrew." 

A short silence enveloped them before Neville asked, "How long do you have left?"

"I don't know, but any time at all is a gift."  Neville burrowed closer.  "Why our generation?"  "Neville-baby" she whispered into his hair, "Shh it's alright, there was a prophecy, 'Before the first darkness ends there shall be a new generation born, these children will unite in friendship and love to conquer that which is consumed in hate.'  It had taken years to translate but eventually some of the ministry did it. 'Orphaned but strong shall be the first.  Intelligent and wise will be a girl.  A strategist and tactician, from a large family.  To silent parents one is born.  United we stand divided we fall.'  Harry Potter was the first.  We knew that but didn't have time to find out the rest of them.  You're in there Nev; we were silent for a long time.  Only Order and a select few at the ministry who had been working on the translation knew, but somehow the DE's and Voldemort got hold of the first part.  They don't know who you are and what you will all become."

A chime was heard throughout St.Mungo's, signalling the next shift of doctors and medi-witches to arrive.  "Neville, always remember you are special and you will become a great wizard, don't doubt that.  You have a kind heart and we were, we are so proud of you and we love you.  Give my love to your Gran.  I would have loved to have seen you grow up." She smiled and kissed his forehead; she then settled back into the pillows and closed her eyes.  The room became silent until her breathing stopped.  "Goodbye mum." Neville whispered dropping a kiss onto her cheek, he walked out of the room softly closing the door behind him and went into the room directly opposite.

His grandmother was waiting for him, her hands clasping a picture tightly her expression full of sorrow and regret.  She looked up when he walked in, her grey eyes tired and she looks old.  He sits beside her on the overstuffed sofa and takes her hand in his own looking intently at the difference in the textures of her shrivelled hand and his own smooth one.  "Can we go home now?"  He doesn't look at her but his voice is pleading.  She is gone.  "Of course my boy."  

Thanking the doctor and medi-witch they left the centre, hoping never to return there again.


	3. A Friend is all you need

Chapter 3.  A friend is all you need.

When they arrived back at home, Neville made himself a cup of tea and disappeared in to his room, and tried to engross himself in a Herbology book.  Unable to block out the words his mother had said to him with such conviction.  _"Neville, always remember you are special and you will become a great wizard, don't doubt that.  You have a kind heart and we were, we are so proud of you and we love you."_

He sighed and laid back on his bed eventually falling into a fitful sleep.

"Neville?" A voice asked warily, a warm hand gently shaking his shoulder.  "Huh? G'wy." He mumbled sleepily, fumbling to push whomever it was away from him.  The hand gently shook him again and he opened his eyes blinking in the sunlight that was drifting into the room making it all seem too damn bright for its own good.  "P-P-Percy??" he stuttered self-consciously.  What was Percy Weasley doing sitting on the edge of his bed, in his room, in his house?  "Good afternoon Neville!" Percy smiled at the young man lying in front of him a comical expression of shock on his face.  

"What _are_ you doing here Percy?" Neville asked when he had recovered and pushed himself into a sitting position crossing his legs underneath the covers.  "I'm sorry about your parents." Percy said quietly looking at his hands and then up at Neville.  "I'm not." He replied decisively, Percy nodded understanding, they weren't silent anymore, and they weren't re-living the nightmares over and over. They were free.

"They're happy now, Dumbledore's downstairs with your grandmother, he thought you could do with some company."  "Oh okay. What time is it?" Neville asked the day seemed to be so strange so blurry.  "About three-ish, you've slept through a whole day already.  You must be hungry do you want anything?"  Neville shrugged non-committally  "'M okay."  Percy shook his head.  "No your not, why don't you get up while I make you something to eat and then we can think of something to do?"  "Uh, Okay."

Percy left the room in search of food.  Neville stretched and got up and took a quick shower.  He put on his favourite pair of jeans and a t-shirt.  As he came out of the bathroom towelling his hair, he found Percy once again sitting on his bed a tray of food beside him and Neville realised just how hungry he was.

He sat down cross legged on the bed again and they ate in companionable silence, both men understanding that nothing needed to be said or explained.  At least not yet.

The end.


End file.
